Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-09-05
CIVIL SERVICE.
Grievances of a Discharged
Chicago Official.
MINUTE INVESTIGATION.
He Says That He Was Dismissed
on Purely Political Grounds.
The Statement Denied.

Associated Press Dispatches to the HERALD.
WASHINGTON, September 4.-The
Civil Service Commission has sub
mitted to the President the report OF
its investigation of the complaint
made by George A. Webster against
Anthony Zeberger, Collector of the
port of Chicago. The opinion says
that the complaint of Webster is that
he was compelled to resign his place
in the Appraisers Office in Chicago
because he was Republican and the
Collector desired to put Democrat in
his place.
wEBsTER's STATEMENT.
In the letter of complaint Webster
says that after receiving notice that
his resignation was demanded he was
informed by the Collector in an inter-
view that no complaint had been
urged against his official conduct and
ability, but owing to great pressure
there was necessity that vacancy
should be made, and that the Col.
lector said: "You must remember
that our party has been out Of power
for twenty-five years, and you should
be thankful for having been allowed
to stay two years under Democratic
administration.
STRONG REASONS FOR DISMISSAL.
Zeberger says that the request fol
Webster's resignation had been made
for reasons amply strong, and that he
had acted in strict conformity with
the civil service law, as he understood
it in his testimony before the Com
missioner.
NOT FOR POLITICAL BIAS.
Zeberger denied having said any.
thing to Webster that could be con.
strued into q declaration that the re-
quest was prompted by political rea-
son. "The reasons for his removal" +"
said Zeberger, "were in my own mind
and keeping" and these he refused to
state.
THE OPINION.
The opinion observes that while Ze.
berger stated emphatically that he die
not say to Webster that his resignation
had been demanded for political rea
SONS yet he did not inform him tha
such were not his reasons. Attention
is called to the fact that Webster was
not given the benefit of the law which
requires the heads of the executive
departments to retain those persons
who may be equally qualified wht
have been honorably discharged sol
diers or sailors.
WEBSTER is AN OLD SOLDIER.
"Webster" says the opinion sis an
honorably discharged wounded soldier
and after his appointment he was pro.
NOTED for faithful and efficient service
This competency the collector does not
deny and that Webster was an often
sive partisan is not shown by the tes-
timony.
DIsCLAIMs THE TITLE OF POLITICIAN.
He swears that he was never a poll
tician and had never attended eau
Gus or convention as delegate. He
adds, 81 have, however. strong hon
est political views, which l have al
ways held"
WEBSTER UPHELD.
"Strong political views," says the
opinion, "Webster had right to en-.
tertain." The opinion says that it is
not to be tolerated that because man
occupies a place in the classifiedCivi
Service he must therefore surrender
his right to take interest in the poll.
ties of the country. "No good citizen
will do So"
THE REASONS REQUIRED.
The opinion maintains that there is
no cause why reasons should not be
given for the removal, as the appoint
ing of Zeberger neither gives him the
Office occupied by iiiiiil Or the Office oc.
cupied by persons under his super.
vision. "He is not an employer Of
his subordinates, he Is not master
he is simply servant of the people
and certainly no good reasons can be
given why, in serving the people, he
should be permitted to hold in his
own mind and keep back his reasons
for doing any act in its performance, in
which the people have an interest"
REASONS FOR THE INVESTIGATION.
Concerning the right of the commits
sion to make an investigations of the
kind against the right of which Com
missioner Egerton has made objec-
ton, the opinion says that such an
investigation will result in the good Of
the service as regards the correction
of wrong methods and the disclosure
of evasions and violations of both law
and rules.
EGERToN CENsURED.
In conclusion the commission ex-
presses its dissent from Commissioner
Egerton's censure of the Civil Service
Reform leagues or associations, and
says that his observation has discov-
cred no purpose of any OF them to an
tagonize the administration or to in
any way embarrass it in the enforce
ment of the Civil Service law and
rules. On the contrary all such
leagues and associations have shown
a most earnest desire to support the
Commission in the discharge of its du-
ties.
NO LEGAL RIGHTS TO ACT.
Commissioner Egerton, in his re-
port to the Commission, states that he
was opposed to the investigation be-
cause, in his opinion, the charges
which had been made were not of a
character which could give the Com
mission any legal right to actupon the
complaint.
zEBERGER's REPLY SUFFICIENT.
Zeberger, in reply to Webster's
complaint, denied the charges
made against him, and claimed that
he requested the resignation for
reasons amply strong and that he
acted in conformity with the civil ser.
vice law. He distinctly denied that
the request was prompted by politica1
reasons.